CEMS - Master in International Management (MIM)
The CEMS Master's in International Management (MIM) programme is a one-year Master programme in the field of international management. It is a joint degree programme delivered by 34 of the best business schools around the world in cooperation with approximately 70 leading corporations.
About the programme (Panel content)
What is CEMS?
The CEMS Master's in International Management (MIM) programme is a one-year Master programme in the field of international management. A distinguishing factor of the programme is that it brings together all stakeholders (schools, companies, students and alumni).
Also it is the most international management programme on the market. The content of the programme is practice-oriented, advanced and takes place in the second year of your MSc studies.
Who can apply?
To be a qualified applicant for the CEMS MIM programme, you must be enrolled in one of the eligble master programmes at CBS.
Limited number of places
The CEMS MIM programme has a limited number of places. If there are more qualified applicants than places available, there will be a selection process, according to the selection criteria below. In other words, fulfilment of the entry requirements does not guarantee admission.
Read more about the Entry requirements
Why apply for CEMS?
Get a one-year management master on top
Be part of a global network
Global top-ranked programme
Combines your degrees
CEMS takes place in the second year of your studies in your third and fourth semester.
The programme is flexible in relation to course selection as CEMS offers you a range of electives in a number of different areas. This gives you the opportunity to shape your own individual profile in combination with your master’s degree. Jointly, the different elements of the programme develop your academic knowledge, your soft skills and your practical experience.
At the end of your studies, you will obtain a MSc degree from Copenhagen Business School as well as the CEMS Master's in International Management degree.
A mandatory semester abroad and at CBS
As a part of the CEMS MIM Programme you will spend a semester at CBS and a mandatory semester abroad at one of our 33 CEMS partner universities around the world.
You will be asked to prioritize which partner universities you would like to go to, but CBS will delegate the placement - and we cannot guarantee a placement in your preferred partner school or the semester you will spend at CBS or abroad.
CEMS
On cems.org you can explore the CEMS alliance, learn about CEMS, partner schools and corporate partners, and follow news and events from across the international CEMS community.
Structure (Panel content)
3 things to consider
Language skills
Work/life balance
Internship requirements
Overview of courses
1st semester
2nd semester
3rd semester
4th semester
Description of CEMS courses
Block seminar
The Block Seminar is a 3-ECTS one-week course that takes place at the beginning of Term 1.
Block Seminars bring together professors and students from various CEMS schools. Subjects derive from different cultural and academic pers
Global Strategy
Global Strategy is a course that enables you to understand and navigate the international business environment. The course provides a critical view to the principal challenges that managers face. It is designed to develop students’ understanding of what constitutes an effective strategy and how a strategic perspective can guide managerial decisions in global arenas.
To cope with the myriad challenges, organizations need to engage in a variety of strategic change projects, constantly inventing and implementing new policies and practices in a sustainable manner.
This is the course to help you grasp the why, how and what of strategy in reshaping the future of economies and societies in a way that is meaningful and impactful.
Global Citizenship Seminar
This two day seminar takes place in the beginning of term 2.
The Global Citizenship Seminar brings together representatives from Corporate and/or Social partners, professors and students, for an experiential learning opportunity.
Students will have the opportunity to explore personal responsibility in the context of being a future leader/manager, starting to better understand her/himself, their personal values, their impact on decision making, and how this in turn affects other people.
Global Leadership
Global Leadership equips you with the knowledge and skills to manage people across borders and within multinational teams, creating culturally savvy individuals that show empathy and can relate to and interact with different cultures. Leadership is about exciting, inspiring, energizing, embracing change, and putting values first.
Wherever your professional development takes you, knowing how to lead people from diverse cultures in a global world will be crucial for your success.
Being a CEMS student, you deal with diverse cultural backgrounds and get trained to be the best leader in the making.
CEMS elective courses
At CBS, you can choose from a large portfolio of electives each semester. During your semester abroad, the electives on offer will depend on the CEMS partner university you attend. The electives on offer will vary to some extent from year to year.
Business Project
The business project is a ‘real-life’ consulting problem for one of our corporate partners that you will solve in a multicultural team
International internship
An international internship of minimum 8 weeks will be instrumental in converting your theoretical knowledge into practical experience and skills.
Skills seminars
Skill seminars focus on soft skills within areas such as leadership, presentation and communication techniques, business coaching and negotiation. The skill seminars run every semester and they are usually intense, practice-oriented seminars in small groups of maximum 20 students.
Testing of your second foreign language
If you are selected for CEMS MIM with a B1/B1 in Language 2 and/or 3, you do not necessarily fulfill the CEMS MIM graduation requirement. B1/B1 level language courses and tests are valid for graduation if they are taken maximum two years before the start of the CEMS MIM.
If your test is older than that, you can opt to fulfill the language graduation requirement through a variety of options, which you can read more about on cems.org.
Master's thesis
You write your master's thesis to conclude the programme.
CEMS
On cems.org you can explore the CEMS alliance, learn about CEMS, partner schools and corporate partners, and follow news and events from across the international CEMS community.
Student environment (Panel content)
Teaching
The teaching activities are developed in close collaboration with corporate partners. This makes the teaching activities highly practice-oriented and prepares you to apply your theoretical knowledge in real business contexts.
Courses and seminars
You will meet a variety of different teaching formats. Skills seminars are oriented towards providing students with practical skills in small groups with approximately 20 students. Courses are built on lectures combined with case study discussions, role plays or simulations.
Within CEMS, there is a large variety of course and seminar types. Skills seminars are oriented towards providing students with practical skills in small groups with approximately 20 students. Courses are built on lectures combined with case study discussions, role plays or simulations.
Interactive and engaging classes
Since most courses in CEMS are selected by the individual student from a list of CEMS courses, the teaching styles may vary. Teaching may also vary depending on where you study your semester abroad. Generally, CEMS classes are very interactive and engaging, and the courses encourage active participation.
Given the close study environment at CEMS, the students often experience close interaction with professors and the programme administration.
Exams
Exams at CBS
All your courses at CBS ends with an exam. Depending on the courses you take and which semester you spend at CBS, your exams will take place in
- October (first quarter courses)
- December and January
- April (third quarter courses)
- May and June respectively.
The type of exam will vary depending on your courses. Examples of exam formats could be everything from written sit-in exams, oral exams and hand-in of larger group projects.
Exams abroad
The exam periods and formats will vary depending on the university where you spend the semester abroad.
Study environment
“ I found amazing friends during this program and you really get to know your colleagues very fast. This is due to the fact, that you are spending a very intense time together while travelling, going out and of course also while working on projects together.
” Felix
Student at WU/CBS
Two study environments
As a CEMS student, you will experience at two different study environments: one at CBS and one at the university where you study your term abroad.
An international community
The study environment within CEMS is highly international. Faculty and students represent a wide range of nationalities, cultures and perspectives. As a CEMS student, you are part of the CEMS environment at CBS, but you also belong to the wider international CEMS community. This network consists of around 1300 new students each year across the partner universities, more than 20,000 alumni, corporate partners and experienced faculty members.
Learning across borders and disciplines
The programme gives you the opportunity to study and network with students from other MSc programmes at CBS and from universities around the world. This enables you to learn from and network with students with different academic backgrounds and a variety of interests. At CBS, the relatively small group of CEMS students – typically about 50 each year – creates an intimate study environment with strong social bonds and close contact with faculty.
Motivated and supportive students
CEMS students are open-minded, curious and ambitious about both their studies and future careers. Admission requires extra effort, which means students are highly motivated throughout the programme. The group is usually gender balanced, and the study environment is supportive – though some may also find it competitive.
CEMS
On cems.org you can explore the CEMS alliance, learn about CEMS, partner schools and corporate partners, and follow news and events from across the international CEMS community.
Entry requirements (Panel content)
Who can apply for CEMS?
Eligible programmes at CBS
To be eligible to apply for the CEMS MIM programme, you must be enrolled as a first semester student in one of the following master's programmes at CBS:
- MSc in economics and business administration in Accounting, Strategy and Control
- MSc in economics and business administration in Applied Economics and Finance
- MSc in economics and business administration in Finance and Investments
- MSc in economics and business administration in Finance and Strategic Management
- Cand.merc i finansering og Regnskab
- MSc in economics and business administration in Management of Innovation and Business Development
- MSc in economics and business administration in People and Business Development
- MSc in economics and business administration in Sales Management
- MSc in economics and business administration in Strategy, Organisation and Leadership
- MSc in economics and business administration in Supply Chain Management
- Cand.merc økonomisk markedsføring
- MSc in economics and business administration in General Management and Analytics
- MSc in Business, Language and Culture Business and Development Studies
- MSc in International Business and Politics
Students enrolled in other master programmes at CBS is not eligible to apply for CEMS.
Limited number of places
The CEMS MIM programme has a limited number of places. If there are more qualified applicants than places available, there will be a selection process, according to the selection criteria below. In other words, fulfilment of the entry requirements does not guarantee admission.
Application process and selection criteria
Applying for the CEMS MIM programme is a two step proces consisting of written application and an interview.
Step 1 - Written application
During your first semester in one the eligible master programmes at CBS, you can apply for the CEMS MIM Programme by sending a written application. The application will be evaluated and ranked based on an assessment of:
- academic performance (Grade Point Average) (80%)
- studying abroad (10%)
- working/volunteering abroad (10%)
Step 2 - Interview assessment
The top 70 applicants will be invited to an assessment interview conducted in English. The panel will usually by a combination of CBS representatives, including the CBS CEMS Academic Director, the CEMS Programme Manager as well as CEMS corporate partner representatives and alumni. You will be evaluated based on an assessment of:
| Intellectual potential and knowledge |
|
| Attitude and soft skills |
|
| International orientation |
|
The final selection of students will based on an overall evaluation of the application.
You can only apply for the CEMS programme once. If you are not accepted into the programme based on your written application or your overall application and performance during the assessment interview it is not possible to apply again during your studies at CBS.
Fees
CBS does not charge tuition for participation in the CEMS programme.
What are the requirements for CEMS?
Enrolment in an eligible CBS programme
Minimum GPA
3 languages proficiency
CEMS
On cems.org you can explore the CEMS alliance, learn about CEMS, partner schools and corporate partners, and follow news and events from across the international CEMS community.
Career (Panel content)
Competencies
The different elements of the CEMS programme help you build both academic knowledge and practical skills in international management. You develop a set of soft skills, earn two master degrees and gain exposure to alumni and corporate partners across countries and cultures.
Over the years, CEMS has become increasingly recognised. Today, it is a brand associated with top-qualified, internationally trained graduates and young professionals
Career opportunities
Because CEMS at CBS is an add-on to a master programme, graduates bring diverse academic profiles with them into the labour market.
According to a recent survey of the class of 2023, CEMS graduates found positions in sectors such as:
- Consulting
- Technology
- Financial services
- Consumer goods
- Health and pharma
The CEMS Community
“ Being the Head of Marketing at the CBS CEMS Club, I have gotten to know almost the entire cohort and I have met some great people, that have made this semester a blast! Therefore, I recommend giving it a 100% when you are in ” Selma
Student at CBS/NOVA
Become part of a network
CEMS Club Copenhagen
CEMS MIM students are organised in the CEMS Club Copenhagen (CCC). The CCC arranges a range of different social events and activities throughout the year including a humanitarian project. To boost your career and internship possibilities you can attend the yearly Career Forum, which is an exclusive event for CEMS students and Corporate Partners. You can also attend the Nordic Forum, a large 3-day event of interactive skills seminars and social events with corporate partners and fellow students. Several other regional events are also arranged annually.
CEMS Alumni Organisation
CEMS Alumni are also an important element within CEMS. As of 2023, there are more than 20,000 CEMS Alumni representing over 100 nationalities, working in over 70 countries. Many of them regularly participate in CEMS activities such as delivering skill seminars, or they participate in business projects as they work for CEMS corporate partners. Furthermore, the local CEMS Alumni organisation organises events such as competency days or visits to firms. Therefore, alumni often represent an important link between current CEMS students and potential employers.
CEMS Corporate and Social Partners
CEMS Corporate and Social Partners represent a highly diverse network in terms of sector of activity, company culture, and size. They all recognise the important competitive advantage of having access to a pool of internationally-minded business students. Therefore, they participate in CEMS courses, host events, and sponsor some activities.
CEMS
On cems.org you can explore the CEMS alliance, learn about CEMS, partner schools and corporate partners, and follow news and events from across the international CEMS community.
Rankings
CEMS MIM ranked 11th out of 203 programs in 2024 and scored consistently higher than the global average across all indicator groups.
The CEMS MIM is ranked in the top 5.4% globally with an overall score of 86.6 out of 100.
